Protesters face 4 years in jail under Santos govt´s draconian new laws

Colombia risks being seen as a police state if new government proposals to criminalize protests are given the go ahead by Congress.

Defence Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon today tabled a series of legislative amendments to punish those involved in civil unrest with lengthy jail sentences and hefty fines.

Under Pinzon´s plan, the “encapuchados” (or those wearing hoodies to hide their identity) would face up to four years in a prison cell, but the most controversial measure would see those “participating” or organizing road blocks also face the clink.

The law currently threatens jail for those who “by unlawful means incite, direct, constrain, or provide the means to impede temporarily or permanently, roads or transport infrastructure”. However, Pinzon is said to want to extend this definition to include those who merely participate.

On 19 August Colombia´s farmers took to the streets to protest the decades long abandonment of the countryside. Across the nation millions of Colombians joined in with the protests, but following a day of violence in the capital, the Santos government militarized the city and effectively brought the strikes to an abrupt end.

What Pinzon has put forward appears to seek to prevent any such protest from happening again. The Santos government was unable to prevent or control the protests and fears tensions will flare up again between now and next year´s congressional and presidential elections.

Although Pinzon argues he is not “criminalizing” protest – he is unable to do so as the right is enshrined the constitution – it is difficult to see where the nuanced difference lies.

Will future strikes be a scene of mass arrests and draconian government crackdowns?

Or will the – often poor – worker just stay at home rather than risk  jail and a fine of 85,000 dollars?

It remains unclear whether Congress will allow the law to go through in its current form, but Santos´coalition controls 96% of the legislature so with the right arm-twisting anything is possible.

Colombia Politics urges the congress to set itself against this Orwellian legislation.

It will surely be difficult for the government to argue campesinos should be chucked in jail while it negotiates a favourable transitional justice with the FARC. It would take a brave man to rule against Colombians taking to the streets again.

Picture, El Comercio